ما للندى لا يلبِّي صوت داعيه

أظنَّ أنَّ ابن شاد قامَ ناعيه

The dew does not respond to the call of its summoner

I think that the announcer of its death, Ibn Shaddad, has risen

ما للرجاءِ قد اشْتدَّت مذاهبه

ما للزمانِ قد اسْودَّت نواحيه

What is with hope, its ways have become difficult

What is with time, its horizons have blackened

ما لي أرى الملك قد فضَّت مواقفه

ما لي أرى الوفد قد فاضت مآقيه

What is with me, I see the kingdom has emptied its dwelling places

What is with me, I see the delegation has overflowed with suffering

نعى المؤيدُ ناعيه فيا أسفي

للغيثِ كيف غدت عنَّا غواديه

Al-Mu'ayyad lamented the death of his summoner - what a pity!

How the rain has turned away from us, leaving its valleys

واروعتا لصباحٍ عند رؤيته

أظنُّ أنَّ صباح الحشر ثانيه

Woe to a dawn, when seeing it

I think it is the dawn of the Resurrection again

واحسرتاه لنظمِي في مدائحه

كيفَ اسْتحالَ لنظمي في مراثيه

Woe to my poems in praise of him

How they have turned into elegies in lamenting him

أبكيه بالدُّرِّ من جفني ومن كلمي

والبحر أحسن ما بالدُّرِّ أبكيه

I cry for him with pearls from my eyelids and words

And the sea is best with pearls to cry for him

أروي بدمعِي ثرى ملك له شيمٌ

قد كانَ يذكرها الصَّادِي فترويه

I water with my tears the soil of a king who had glory

The hunter would mention it, so it would be watered

أذيل ماء جفوني بعدهُ أسفاً

لماء وجهي الذي قد كانَ يحميه

I trail the water of my eyelids in sorrow after him

For the water of my face that used to shield him

جادٍ من الدمعِ لا ينفكُّ يطلقهُ

من كانَ يطلقُ بالإنعامِ جاديه

Flowing with tears that do not cease to shed

One who would give generously with favors flowing

ومهجة كلَّما فاهت بلوعتها

قالت رزيَّة مولاها لها إيه

And an internal wound that whimpers with its agony

Said: "My master comforted it" - oh dear

ليتَ المؤيد لا زالت عوارفه

فزاد قلب المعنَّى في تلظِّيه

I wish al-Mu'ayyad's kindness would last

Increasing the heart of meaning in its blaze

ليت الحمام حبا الأيام موهبةً

فكانَ يفني بني الدنيا ويبقيه

I wish the pigeons out of love for the days as a gift

So it would destroy the people of the world and keep him

ليتَ الأصاغر تفدى الأكبرون بها

فكانت الشهب في الآفاقِ تفديه

I wish the young ones would ransom the elders with themselves

So the meteors in the horizons would ransom him

أعزز عليَّ بأن ألقى عوارفه

ملءَ الزمان وإنِّي لا ألاقيه

I grieve that I meet his kindness

Filling the times, and I do not find him

أعزز عليَّ بأن تبلى شمائله

تحتَ التراب وما تبلى أياديه

I grieve that his features are worn under the soil

And his hands do not wear away

أعزز عليَّ بأن ترعى النجوم على

سرحٍ من الملك قد خلاَّهُ راعيه

I grieve that the stars watch over

A meadow from the king that its shepherd has left

هلاّ بغيرِ عماد الدِّين حادثة

ألقت رداه وأوهت من مبانيه

If only the incident of Imād al-Dīn

Had averted its harm and weakened its buildings

هلاّ ثنى الدهر غرباً عن محاسنِهِ

فكان كوكب سعدٍ في لياليه

If only the world would turn away from its beauty

So it would be like the star of Saa'd in its nights

ترى درى الدهر مقدار الذي فقدت

من فيضِ أدمعه أحوال أهليه

Does the world know the amount that was lost

From the overflowing of his tears for the state of his family?

ترى درى الدهر ما معزى سماحته

فجاءَ مهجته في زيِّ عافيه

Does the world know the consolation of his generosity?

So his internal wound came dressed in well-being

لا أعتب الزمن المودي بسيِّدهِ

يكفيه ما قد تولَّى عنه يكفيه

I do not blame the friendly time for its master

What it has taken on is enough, enough for it

لهفي وهل نافعي لهفي على ملكٍ

بات الغمامُ على الآفاقِ يبكيه

My longing - is it beneficial, my longing for a king

The clouds have wept for him in the horizons?

لهفي وهل نافعي لهفي على ملكٍ

كسى الزمان حداداً من دياجيه

My longing - is it beneficial, my longing for a king

Time has worn black from his fineries?

لهفي على الملك قد أهوت سناجقه

إلى التراب وقد حُطَّت غواشيه

My longing for the king whose banners have fallen

To the dust and whose fringes have been brought down

لهفي على الخيلِ قد وفَّت صواهلها

حقّ العزا فهو يشجيها وتشجيه

My longing for the horses which have fulfilled the duty of condolence

For he excited them, and they excite him

لهفي على ذلك السلطان حينَ قضى

من الحمام عليهِ حكمُ قاضيه

My longing for that sultan when the judgment of his judge

Regarding the pigeons was carried out on him

لهفي عليهِ لممتار ومطَّلب

بالمالِ يقريه أو بالعلم يقريه

My longing for him, sought after and desired

With wealth he would feed or with knowledge he would feed

لهفي عليهِ لجودٍ كانَ يعجبه

فيه الملام كأنَّ اللَّوم يغريه

My longing for him, for a generosity that apathy would please him

As if blame entices him

لهفي عليهِ ابن عليّ من ذخائرِهِ

إلا ثناً أضحتْ الدنيا تواليه

My longing for him, the son of Ali, from his treasures

Except for praise, the world has turned against him

لهفي عليهِ لحلمٍ كانَ يبسطهُ

على العفاةِ ومدحٍ كانَ يجنيه

My longing for him, for a forbearance he would extend

To the weak, and for praise he would harvest

كانَ المديح له عرساً بدولتِهِ

فأحسن الله للشعرِ العزا فيه

Praise of him was like a wedding in his rule

So God beautified elegy for poetry through him

كانَ الفقير إذا أمرَ الزمان بغى

عليه قامَ إلى السلطانِ يُنهيه

Whenever the time was difficult for the poor man

He would stand up to the sultan and forbid him

كانَ المؤيد في يومي ندى وردَى

غيثاً لراجيه أو غوثاً للاجيه

Al-Mu'ayyad during my days of dew and blossoms

Was rain for the hopeful or rescue for the refugee

تروى صحاح القضايا عن براعتِهِ

والنصر في الحربِ يروي عن عواليه

The correctness of judgments are watered from his insight

And victory in war is watered from his ascent

من للعلومِ وللأعلامِ ينشرها

وللوغَى ورداء الخوف يطويه

Who will spread knowledge and scholars?

And fold the garment of fear for strife?

من للكسيرِ من الأهوالِ يجبرهُ

وللطريدِ من الأيامِ يأويه

Who will mend the broken from horrors?

And shelter the hunted from days?

من للتصانيفِ أمثال الكواكب في

ليلِ المداد لساري الفكر يهديه

Who will guide like the stars in the night of ink

The mind that flows for the thoughtful?

مضَى وقد كانَ عضباً للزمانِ فيا

لهفي على مغمدٍ في التربِ ماضيه

He passed away, and he was anger for the days -

My longing for one sheathed in soil, his past

لو أمكنَ الصبر عنهُ ما أنستُ به

فكيفَ والحزنُ من أحشاي ينعيه

If patience from him was possible, I would not forget him

So how can I when grief laments him from my core?

آهاً لأحمر دمعٍ بعد أشهبه

أجراهُ حتَّى لقد أفناه مجريه

Alas for reddened tears after graying them

He let them flow until he exhausted their course

أفنى المؤيد تبر الدمع من بصرِي

وتلكَ عادته في التبرِ يفنيه

Al-Mu'ayyad exhausted the insistent flow of tears from my sight

And that was his habit with persistence, to exhaust it

كيفَ السلوُّ وحولِي من صنائعه

ما يمنع الصخر من أدنى تسلّيه

How can there be joy, and around me are relics from him

That do not prevent the rock from the slightest entertainment?

هذي حماة أغصَّ الهمُّ وادِيها

وطاوعَ الحزن فيه دمع عاصيه

And sorrow obeyed the rebellious tear in it

It is as if it perceived sorrows from of old

كأنَّه اسْتشعر الأحزان من قدمٍ

فللنواعيرِ نوح في نواحيه

So for the elegists, there is weeping in its plains

As if it is words empty of meaning

هذي المنازل والدنيا معطلة

كأنها اللفظ خالٍ من معانيه

The pious tomb sent down its blessed rain, so it does not cease

To water it with clouds of forgiveness and contentment

جادَ الحيا قبرهُ الزاكي فلا برحت

سحائب العفو والرضوان تسقيه

What blessed clouds watering in the direction of their downpour!

What a wonderful tomb and what a wonderful man lodging in it!

نعم السحائب تسقي صوب وابلها

نعم الضريح ونعم المرء ثاويه

Congratulations to the gardens of eternity hosting him

While we pray with fire from its edges

مهنَّأ بجنانِ الخلد دانيه

ونحنُ نصلى بنارٍ من تنائيه

Whoever would tire himself in benevolence for rest

He is the purpose with reception and entertainment

من كانَ يتعب في المعروف راحته

فهو المنى بترحيبٍ وترفيه

Oh Ayyubids, patience! For your inheritance

From the name Ayyub is the patience that would save him

يا آل أيوب صبراً إنَّ إرثكمو

من اسم أيوب صبر كانَ ينجيه

These are the predetermined deaths turning upon people

Each will come his turn from its cupbearer

هي المنايا على الأقوامِ دائرة

كلٌّ سيأتيه منها دورُ ساقيه

These are the destinies - this is the essence it pulls up

After growth, and this branch it raises

هيَ المقادير هذا الأصل تنزعه

بعد النموِّ وهذا الفرع تنميه

It is as if I see the descendant of noble deeds

Hastening the right of the king's inheritance

كأنني بسليلِ المكرمات وقد

سعى بحقِّ تراث الملك ساعيه

Muhammad - and it is a name famous of him

Who took leadership of the House of Ismāʿīl, raising it

محمد وهو اسمٌ عنه مشتهر

ولى به بيت إسماعيل ينشيه

Oh al-Nāṣir of the religion, you have read

The signs of the king in him, the seeing eye

يا ناصر الدِّين أنتَ الملك قد قرأت

علائم الملك فيه عين رائيه

And from your father you have learned resolve, so

You do not need to remember what you already know

ومن أبيكَ تعلَّمت الثباتَ فما

تحتاج تذكُّر أمراً أنتَ تدريه

Do not fear your house that time would twist it

For the house has a Lord who will protect it

لا تخشَ بيتكَ أن يلوِي الزمان بهِ

فإنَّ للبيتِ ربًّا سوفَ يحميه